Jesus, I am Your Child, Too

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Jesus...

Thank You for investing Yourself
in someone like me...
Help me step back and be mindful of my own needs,
because I am Your child, too.
Help me become aware
it was not okay to grow up
in a verbally and physically abusive home,
and not accept that in my life from others.
Help me treat others with excellence, Lord.
Help me add to their lives, not take away.
Help me be mindful,
I do not have to be willing, acceptant
nor an active participant of other's negativity;
I can walk away.
Help me to see-through their suffering, Lord.
Help me to become aware
of when I am being undermined
by someone trying to run me with their energy.
There are so many people out there
struggling with jealousy, stinginess and greed, God!
Please keep me mindful,
they will not be good friends.
If they think I am rude, then I know
they are not doing their homework.
If I can inspire, encourage and help them,
I will.
If they don't want my help,
show me how to move on.
Time is becoming too precious, Jesus!
I don't have time to assume or presume
I know what's going on with others God.
I can't read anyone's mind.
All I can do is ask You help me
stay in my own meditative mind.
I am claiming the peace I need in my life
through You, Jesus.
Because I am Your child, too.
Amen.

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I want people to know there is a difference between humility and humiliation.
Some people think these two words are the same thing.
Some people are unwilling to be humble
because somewhere in the back of their minds
they must feel they are taking a risk in being "humiliated".

Isn't it a shame to consider how all human beings have experienced some sort of humiliation in their childhoods? Some situations may have been fun, or funny, or accidental; others may have run into something that was painful and purposeful. Some people never grow out of this! It's strange to look back on these times in our lives.

When I was about 5, I used to feel very embarrassed by my mother's red lipstick. There was something about that red lipstick? When it came on it changed my mother's face. I found her to be cruel and embarrassing to be near. But it was funny when my brother took that red lipstick and smeared it all over his face! We got the biggest kick out of that! (Mom didn't think it was so funny.)

When I was 7, I was in Catholic school when Sister Theresia called me up in front of the class. She turned me towards the blackboard and hit me around the shoulders with her yardstick. I had the worst trouble getting math! I remember doing everything to fight back my tears. It was even more difficult to turn around and face the smug expressions on the faces of my classmates. I ended up in the hospital with an ulcer that year.

Certain levels of humiliation have a sobering effect on one's life. This is why so many people can be a drag to be around.

We get all-up in ourselves about it. We think we have to go through all kinds of posturing in order to be accepted by others. Whether that happens through socialization, or religion or traditions, it can be hard to break free from. Is it any wonder human beings come to see themselves as entitled?

No one wants to be made fun of. No one wants to take a lesser place, or be a have-not... In our own ways, we overcompensate for this pain by working very hard to be "special". Oddly, over time we might outgrow those efforts. I think this is the real challenge of mid-life, when people hit their 40's, for example. What happens to our passion for life?

Humility, learning when to be humble, quiet and graceful, is a way of helping ourselves find more grace in our world. We have to be able to forgive ourselves before we can forgive others.

Instead of adding to another person's suffering, instead of chastising and pigeonholing people, instead of needing to be right, we can simply be quiet and decisive. It is possible then, to recognize who and what we want to include in our true passions about things. Living our lives would not feel like a waste of time...

For me, humility is like a tai chi movement... A simple one, of getting out of my own way, and allowing God to work with me a little more. So, when I feel good? I can be more decisive about what really matters!

The goal in life should be to feel good about life.

Everyone should feel entitled to make decisions about their lives, then stand on those decisions. That's where the real power rests.

Instead of dodging the balls people throw your way, you can let them fall to the ground if you're being hurt or humiliated. Maybe those games aren't for you. With some practice and awareness, you can just move on.

Instead of going through the motions of dodging the balls of the competition around you - once in awhile you could decide to pick up your own game. Get your own ball; play! Play something new.

And when you do? Let it be something you feel passionate about.

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Self-Contained Heart

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Fun, huh? I love how this heart looks so timeless and perfect.

"The truth shall set you free."
- Jesus Christ

This image puts forth a balanced energy,
showing protective safeguards and healthy boundaries,
at the same time radiating a lot of love.
The heart is yin, the golden sun behind it is yang.
The thorns are neutralizers.
This is the image of a young adult heart
who has come into his or her own self.
It not only radiates faith, but self-trust and kindness.
At the same time, it is not leaking any energy;
it is cautious, aware, contained.


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"I will reveal all things, beloved,
so that through knowledge and understanding
you will become like Me.
I will reveal the hidden things to you.
Now, put forth your hands and hold on."

- Jesus, The Second Apocalypse of James

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Here's a photo of my town, the city of Seattle...

Many of you reading this blog
are too young to remember or know about


The Battle In Seattle

November 30, 1999 -
December 2, 1999




It was the first national protest
organized by caring American citizens,
on the internet.



Organizers and citizens came together to protest
against the World Trade Order (WTO).
People intended for it to be a peaceful protest...



However Seattle city officials
were very concerned about the crowds of people showing up...


So the police force was called in
to watch against any disorder.

You see, President Clinton
and other important officials
from all over the world were coming to town!

There were diverse crowds
of every nationality and age!



People wanted to take a stand
against the exploitation of people in other countries,
the loss and outsourcing of our jobs,


the quality of our food,
water, and air...


All these concerns affect us directly
and were, and continue to be based in
corporate greed.



So the people came together,
standing in one voice
as the officials came into the airport
and through the gates of Seattle...



It was very cool,
how the people of Seattle created blockades,
so officials for the WTO
could not meet in their conference rooms
or gather at the Space Needle.


Instead, they were forced to face the people!



Of course, the cops didn't like that.




By late afternoon
the police were given permission to use
whatever tactics they thought necessary
to drive back the crowds.




Therefore, police began
to push the people
out of the way using tear-gas.




By the end of the night
police had pushed the people up the hill,
and into my neighborhood,
where my friends and neighbors
were tear-gassed, too!



The next morning,
some people began to riot
and the windows of many buildings owned by corporate companies were busted down.
Since no person was being physically hurt,
some thought about it and felt
creating material damages was okay.
Newspaper boxes were uprooted from the sidewalks and thrown into the glass!



Again, the peaceful protesters
returned to the streets, chanting:

THE PEOPLE
UNITED
WILL NEVER BE
DIVIDED!


They came again
to block the WTO organizers from gathering.



And again,



protesters were tear-gassed,
beaten with clubs, and driven by police
up to the hill where I live.



The protests went on in the streets
for a total of three days.



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This year will be the 10th Anniversary
of the Battle in Seattle.






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The citizens of Seattle were put on a nightly curfew:
we were told to be out of the streets by 7:00 p.m.,
or we would be tear-gassed.


Naturally, not everyone
was able to get out of the streets in time!


For three days and nights, all we could hear were helicopters...


On the third night, I rushed home from work.
I couldn't find anything on the local news
about how the night would go.


But I tuned-in to PBS and saw
there were police lined up


right in front of my apartment building.


Dozens of squads stood out in the street,
in lines outside my door,
poised in their "riot gear",
face shields down like Darth Vader.
They stood waiting for the downtown squads
to push the protesters up the hill one more time.


People I worked with got tear-gassed on their way home from teaching at night.



A friend who was tear-gassed had to sleep on my living room floor.



There was no way a lot of people could get home!



Reporters said
the protests weren't helping much
with the Christmas Shopping season.


By the time the protests were over,
some people went to jail...
Merchants boarded up their windows.



Which did not look very welcoming
uptown or downtown.


(No one was really in the mood to go shopping.)

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In fact, Seattle has never been the same.


We all know
knew this event
would slowly change the world.


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This is a story about greed.


http://www.zmedia.org/WTO/N30.htm


http://www.gapsucks.org/gwa/history/wto/


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_in_Seattle

http://www.johncallan.com/Archive/PM/WTO--%20The%20Battle%20for%20Seattle.htm


http://www.spectacle.org/0100/main.html


http://archives.dailyuw.com/2000/120100/N2.WT.html


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Teenage Hearts

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Teens have a lot of needs!
Teens need more than just "things" - like ipods and footballs and cell phones...

Teens need to have fun, and be silly.

Teens need things
like buckets of paint and clay,
good shoes to play.
They need art, cartoons, culture
and concerts, dancing, proms and movies...
Costumes, instruments and MAD magazines.
Every teen needs privacy and personal space,
personal grooming, a zit-free face.
They need diet, nutrition
and yummy snacks, too.
They need sleep-ins and camping,
and rest from the flu.

Teens need to learn by
travel and study;
seeing life on the other side
of the fence.
They need mentors to teach them,
good educations,
so they don't act stupid
out of ignorance.

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Give teens
tools and information to become empowered!!
Teach them, talk to them
about things like
meditation, sex education, stress management.

Teens need to be treated
like human beings, not human-doings.
Teach teens about human "being",
and they will find dignity in their lives.

Teens go through so many changes
in such a short time!
Teens need hugs.
Teens need to understand self-defense,
so they won't go to strangers
for love.

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Dear Little Child of God,
I have seen you living the street; blasted out of your mind; wandering the city; lost, unable to find the peace that can only come from inside. I pray for you.

We live in these times where there are no more excuses, where judgment is only a form of blame. It's such a waste of time, for no two people are the same.

If you need help, ask and seek actively; God's light is always unique.

No need to play by society's"game"... Don't get bent-out of shape, or kiss-butt or put gravity into the pain.

Make it your aim to stay light.

Decide today to start living your TRUTH! Come clean and be who you are! Start taking your power, degree by degree. God's promise is to help you get free.

Being judgmental shapes attitudes...

This is why people are frightened, self-serving and rude.

With the right focus, ask for what you need. Live simply and honest, choose not to serve greed. There are plenty of treasures to be shared all around! Just keep your heart light, and your feet on the ground!

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